Envelope opener



July 12, 1955 J. P. ROSS ENVELOPE OPENER Filed Oct. 28. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 James F. Ross INVENTOR.

9 BY W WW Attorney's July 12, 1955 J. ROSS 2,712,692

ENVELOPE OPENER Filed Oct. 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 4

James F. Ross INVENTOR.

United States Patent ElilVELfiPE QPENER .larnes P. Ross, Gila in, Saskatchewan, Canada Application Gctober 28, 1952, Serial No. 317,287 2 Claims. (Cl. 39-287) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in envelope openers embodying a construction capable of either manual or power operation.

An important object of the invention is to provide means for feeding an envelope to be opened under a pair of cutter blades which swing downwardly to cut-off one end of the envelope and which cut inwardly from the opposite side edges of the envelope to reduce the operating pressure requird by a single cutting blade.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of relatively short cutting blades for use with an envelope opener which reduces the throw or movement required of the blades during their cutting action.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efiicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a front elevational view;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view;

Figure 3 is a top plan view;

Fifiure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on a line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the cutter actuating slide or handle; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the cutting blades.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred iment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a base, preferably constructed of sheet metal and having an upstanding front wall 6 having extensions 7 rising from each end of the front wall to form a reduced central portion having a bevelled cutting edge 8 which forms a stationary cutter. A shelf 9 is welded or otherwise suitably secured in front of the front wall 6 to project forwardly therefrom and the rear portion of the shelf is formed with an upwardly projecting flange 10 having a horizontal guide slot 11 therein in the horizontal plane of the stationary cutter 8, as shown to advantage in Figure 5 of the drawing.

A pair of bolts 12 project rearwardlv from the lower the bolts and with one end 15 of the wire springs bearing against base 5. The spring 14 encludes an arm 16 which underlies a pin 17 projecting from the rear side of a cutter blade 18 which is pivoted at one end on an adjacent bolt 12 for vertical swinging movement. The back of the blade is formed with a shoulder 19 engaged by a stop pin 21 which projects rearwardly from the adjacent extension 7 of the front wall to limit the upward swinging movement of the cutter blade.

The arm 16 of the spring terminates in a downwardly extending leg 21 which slides against the rear surface of the front wall 6 and behind the guide slot 11 to form a stop or gauge for envelopes inserted into the slot 11 to hold the inner end of the envelope under the pair of cutters 18 to cut a relatively narrow strip from the end of the envelope.

A roller 22 is rotatably mounted on each cutter blade 18 adjacent the back of the blades and at the free end portion thereof by means of a pin 23, and the roller 22 projects upwardly above the blades 18 and underlies a sheet metal handle 24 which projects forwardly at the upper edge of a slide 25 which is vertically slidable in a pair of opposed channel-shaped guides 26 formed at the side edges of a vertical plate 27 which is welded or otherwise suitably secured at its lower edge to the base 5.

A resilient strap metal stop 23 is secured to the rear surface of the plate 27 and projects upwardly therefrom and with its upper end curved forwardly to overlie the handle 24 to limit upward movement of the latter.

The side edges of the handle 24 are notched at their rear portions, as shown at 29, to prevent interference by the guide channels 26 during the downward movement of the handle and slide 25.

in the operation of the device an envelope is inserted by the cutter blades 18 to thus hold the end of the envelope directly under the blades. The handle 24 is then pressed downwardly against the tension of spring l4 and the downward pressure projected to the rollers 22 at the free inwardly projecting ends of the blades bring the blades downwardly to cut the end of the envelope transversely, the blades first striking the opposite side edges of the envelope and then working inwardly until the entire end of the envelope is severed. The stop 28 may be flexed rearwardly to perrnit removal of the handle 24 and slide 25 to clean the accumulation of clippings from the device.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further eX- planation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

front wall adjacent the ends of the ing movement tranversely of posite side edges thereof, a

front wall adjacent the ends of the slot for vertical swinging movement transversely of the envelope and at the opposite side edges thereof, a pair of rollers on the other ends of the blades, vertically slidable means carried by the base and overlying and engaging the rollers on the References Qited in the file of this patent cutter blades to swing the latter downwardly, spring UNITED STATES PATENTS means raising the blades, and a stop for the envelope integrally formed with said spring means and positioned 467,720 Haugh 1892 behind the slot to gauge the inserting movement of the 5 1,191,816 Nogar July 1916 1,963,873 Smith June 19, 1934 10 th in. Pe ere 2,406,610 Kelsall Aug.27, 1946 

